


Kindling

by photonconductor



Category: Stella Glow
Genre: Budding Romance, Canon Era, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Post-Chapter 8
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 03:28:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13227168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/photonconductor/pseuds/photonconductor
Summary: On the eve of the final battle, Alto seeks out Sakuya as who he wants to spent his last free moment with.





	Kindling

**Author's Note:**

> Written for someone in the stella glow discord server hope you enjoy it!

This was it. The night before the final battle; the battle where they would take back Marie and this world from the supposed God herself. Alto had made his promise to save her as well as holding deeply onto the promise he had made to Marie of saving Eve herself. Alto felt a swirl of emotions deep within his heart thinking about it, but right now he didn’t want to spend time dwelling on things alone. He needed to lift his spirits. What use would he be in the battle tomorrow if he was acting all depressed about it? He didn’t want to fall to despair like Archibald had.

Even if he and Marie were close, that just made his resolve all the stronger; to save her no matter what. Company always was better than wasting away in his room… and his room felt surprisingly even more empty without Marie. So, he had ventured out in order to spend part of the evening with someone else.

However, he was feeling something slightly different standing in front of Sakuya’s door. She never was the most comforting type of person, what with her... _abrasive_ attitude at times, but even so she always meant well. He felt slightly apprehensive of bothering her at this hour, but he had come at worse inconvenient times as her manager. This was the night before their final battle. Everyone had their own duties to attend to and had to rest up. However… He really couldn’t think of spending this time with anyone else right now.

He swallowed once then mustered up what courage he possessed to gently knock his gauntlet against her door. The sound almost felt _too_ loud to his nerves with the way it echoed in the quiet knight barracks.

“Sakuya? Are you still awake?” He asked tentatively. There was no response for a little while. He almost was ready to turn back around and try to find someone else. Fortunately, Alto didn’t have to wait long until the door creaked open and Sakuya stepped out. She hadn’t changed into her night wear just yet, still dawning the Goddess attire that took Alto’s breath away every time he saw it. Alto still found himself in awe of her outfit even though he had seen her wear it plenty of times after the tuning session where she had awoken it. He already felt uncomfortable in Elcrest’s Conductor clothing; he couldn’t imagine how she felt with all those accessories. Still, she _was_ the Priestess and all those occasional costume changes… Maybe she was just used to it?

She must have caught him staring, because her face seemed to shift from its neutral look to a tiny frown. It didn’t take her long to speak up.

“...What are you doing here at this time of night?” She asked apprehensively, scanning him up and down for a brief moment. She seemed almost tired, but Alto knew her pride wouldn’t let her entirely confess it. He felt bad about bothering her, if that was the case, but spoke anyway.

“I wanted to talk to you before our last battle…”

“...What does that mean?” She said and Alto blinked in confusion.

“Exactly what it sounds like.” He said plainly. Sakuya looked away and began gently twirling a piece of her hair between her fingers.

“You have a lot of friends… Why did you pick me?” She looked back at him to gauge his reaction though Alto noticed the faint sign of a blush on her face. It made him pause. He glanced away a little, mimicking her by twisting a strand of his own hair between his fingers.

“...Huh. I’m not really sure.” Alto said frankly.  It was true. Alto wasn’t really sure why he picked her. Something about Sakuya felt… _calming_ in this situation. Maybe the way she would always make him come to his senses, even if it usually meant he got berated for it. He didn’t want to be told everything would be okay in this situation _exactly_ … It wasn’t the sort of comfort he wanted right now, he guessed. Her way of comforting tended to be a bit brash, but he had come to find it nice in a weird… _Sakuya_ sort of way.

Despite what his thoughts were telling, and before he could voice them, Sakuya let out a loud groan. She rolled her eyes so hard Alto briefly wondered if they would roll out of her head at that.

“Hm? Was it something I said?” Alto asked, concern already gracing his features. He found himself a little unsure why she was making that sort of face at him… She _had_ asked after all. Sakuya let out a huff of air between her teeth.

“I was an idiot for getting my hopes up…” Sakuya whispered under her breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.” She immediately began to switch gears, despite what Alto had said, “If you want to talk, let’s go to the observatory. My room’s messy…” With that, she was already starting to move ahead of him without giving him any time to respond.

“H-Hey, wait up!” Alto hurried after her, until she began to complain that this was _his_ idea so _he_ should take the lead. Despite her complaints, Alto took her “suggestion” in leading her towards the observatory. Once they walked up the stairs, Alto almost immediately hurried over towards the observatory’s balcony edge.

The city below sparkled just as it always did, though due to the damage from the angel attacks it was less bright than it used to be. Lights dimly flickered across Lambert’s main street and outwards, stretching its way far enough to the outer castle wall. Alto still found himself enamored by the view. Everyone was working hard to fix their lives as best as they could, and now they all had a chance to put an end to all this suffering. Eventually, Sakuya slowly joined him and took her own glance downwards.

Alto briefly wondered if Sakuya was feeling homesick after everything. While they had visited Amastu to obtain a portion of the Celestial Hymn, Sakuya still hadn’t been home in a long time. He hadn’t been to Mithra since obtaining Lisette’s part either, but he only rarely felt the twinge of homesickness in his heart. Miss Rosa was here at the Capital, not quite well enough to return, but Sakuya’s family were still back in Amatsu somewhere. Family was always a sore subject for her… but Nonoka was her one friend--practically Sakuya’s _family_ \--who had traveled here with her.

He wanted to comfort her, but he figured now was not the best time. She probably would say she wasn’t moping about that and get frustrated with him once again. They had more pressing things to focus on, and Alto decided the serene image of Lambert would have to soothe them for now.

The Conductor and Priestess stood near the railing in silence for a good while, side by side. Occasionally the wind would blow and tickle their noses with the faint smell of smoke, but all was quiet.

“So beautiful.” Alto found himself finally speaking up. The view had him completely captured once again. He heard Sakuya let out a huff of air through her nose. It definitely was a sign she was getting disgruntled again. He looked back towards her in mild confusion. He wasn’t really sure what there was to get upset over.

“All right, I’ll hear you out. ...What is?” She asked turning her attention towards him. Her expression was even and Alto blinked back at her with a mistified expression. Had she thought he was talking to her? Well… they _were_ the only two people up here...

“The view.”

Alto could’ve swore Sakuya’s face nearly cracked in two. For a moment it looked like her face had completely darkened over; beyond just due to the night sky’s darkness surrounding them. She quickly turned away, dragging a hand to her forehead with a heavy sigh. Alto just felt genuinely confused. She asked hadn’t she? It _was_ the view he was talking about after all.

“I guess I should be used to this by now…” She groaned.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing… Don’t worry about it.” Sakuya sighed quickly before changing the subject, “So what did you want to talk to me about?”

“Oh, right.” Alto blinked before straightening up. While he had been staring at the view, he had come up with a better reason for asking Sakuya to come up here with him.

“You pray, don’t you? Since you’re the Priestess, that is.” Alto began, gently gripping the railing of the observatory and rocking back on his heels in thought, “Will you pray with me, so we can win the battle tomorrow?” Prayers seemed to ease the Amatsu people, so why not them? Sakuya knew a lot about shrine work so there had to be _something_ there. If there was just a sliver of a chance that it would help their efforts tomorrow, then the thought relaxed him. Having Sakuya’s, not just _Priestess_ Sakuya, own faith behind their victory felt even more uplifting.

“...Oh, that’s what you want.” Sakuya said, though there was the faintest touch of disappointment in her tone. Alto didn’t quite catch it.

“I don’t need any gods or anything…” Alto turned his body more towards her, “...But your prayers seem helpful.” If the Amatsu people, and even _Archibald_ , put their faith in it, then why wouldn’t he? Sakuya was always strong, even when she claimed to be full of weaknesses in her heart. The same could be said for anyone, even Alto. His answer seemed to satisfy her for the most part. If she was disappointed, he couldn’t tell by the look on her face.

“Then hold out your hand.” Sakuya smiled before giving her hand a tiny flourish. She gently outstretched it, palm facing upwards towards him. Alto stared at it for a few moments as if what she held in her empty palm was a rare treasure. Her hands looked surprisingly smooth compared to Alto’s own calloused ones. It left him almost in awe of how smooth they looked, considering how hard they had been fighting recently. Her nails were even done, painted with a shiny red hue that still sparkled in the lamplight, though they didn’t look quite as long as they usually were when she had appearances. Not to mention, due to the candlelight surrounding them, Alto could have sworn her palm was almost practically glowing with a warm light.

“...Like this?” He tentatively moved his own hand from his side to lift it just above hers, as if she would scold him for just touching her hand too quickly. At that thought, he didn’t hesitate long in placing it on top of hers. Once their palms touched, Sakuya gently clasped them together. Her thumb folded across the back of Alto’s gloved knuckles almost too delicately to firmly grip it. Alto’s followed more shyly.

“Today will be a private handshake ritual.” Sakuya announced proudly, letting her free hand gently rest against her hip. She looked almost too happy about it, if Alto was really looking. However, something else was on his mind at that.

“Your hand is… warm…” And it was. Even through his gauntlet’s glove, her own warmth seemed to seep through and envelop him in a comforting feeling. He found his shoulders relaxing a little and the tension swirling in his gut easing by the reassurance, even if it was just a mere handshake. Alto could really see why the people of Amatsu practically lined up to shake her hand if this was the kind of effect she had. He never really noticed before… but it wasn’t like he had really touched her hand like this either.

“My handshake is said to have great powers.” Sakuya replied effortlessly with an air of almost pride, but with a knowing smile that made Alto wonder just how true it really was. He definitely felt relaxed around her, but he had started to feel that way in general if he thought about it. Despite her difficult personality at times, Sakuya did bring out the best in him. She really did make him want to push the envelope on his own achievements, especially seeing how hard she worked for her own people. Her devotion was one he respected, even after all this time. He found himself smiling a little wider and she must have caught it. He was so caught up in his own thoughts he hadn’t noticed her shifting closer to him. Her magenta gaze averted, if only for a second, and her cheeks started to turn pink.

“And…” Sakuya trailed off, brushing a strand of hair from her face with her free hand, and Alto blinked at her in slight confusion. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. Sakuya was leaning forward. Her vast amount of jewelry softly hit against each other to make it sound like she was practically twinkling as she moved. The way the light reflected off of her made it almost seem like she was sparkling too. She was still so graceful even when they were alone together. Carefully, she pressed her lips softly against his forehead in a kiss.

At that moment all the heat condensed in Alto’s body, maybe even the warmth of Sakuya’s hand he was somehow _still_ holding, surged itself straight into his cheeks. His face must have looked even redder than the kimono she wore. Maybe this was the true power of the Fire Witch? Or, really, it was just Alto’s own embarrassment ramping up to highest level he could possibly _imagine_ . _Sakuya’s_ lips were on his forehead at that very moment. That was something not even someone like _Veronica_ could have predicted would have happened in a thousand years!

Even, to Alto’s surprise, they were soft and warm. He really wasn’t sure _what_ he was expecting from a girl’s lips, in all honesty, but the idea that it was Sakuya’s made his heart flutter. Alto felt the said heart thud heavily against his chest and almost all at once the moment was over. Sakuya was pulling away and Alto found himself blurting out the smartest thing he could think of.

“What are you doing…!?” He sputtered helplessly. His heart was still beating hard against his chest, the blood still rushing around against ears, but it wasn’t as bad as that initial near heartstopping one. Sakuya looked at him as if he had swallowed a dozen of Kayaj’s special omelettes in one sitting. It wasn’t long before her bewilderment turned into her usual annoyed glare.

“Don’t get all freaked out over a kiss on the forehead!” She huffed, tearing her hand away from his. All at once, the warm feeling in his hand left Alto. At this point, he was grateful for his cheeks not having the additional heat to make his face look like a plump tomato. However, once the Priestess said that she seemed to falter. Her eyes wafted downward towards the balcony’s edge, as if something down in Lambert’s streets had caught her attention more than Alto trying to keep touch with the reality of the situation. If Alto really focused on her face, ignoring his own embarrassment, even with the darkness surrounding them beyond the lanterns soft glow her own face was just as red. She began to gently play with the bottom of her skirt as she fumbled for her words.

It was kind of strange for him to see her caught off guard so quickly, but Alto felt just as frazzled to really latch his thoughts onto it.

“I-It’s… Oh yeah!” Her face suddenly brightened as she regained ground, “It’s a good luck charm passed down among Priestesses!” That just made Alto’s heart sink into his stomach.

“So you do that to other guys, too? That can’t be right!” Alto blurted out once again. However, he saw the way her face slightly fell at that and wanted to swallow back his words. It wasn’t that it was unpleasant or anything but…!

“Huh? You don’t like the idea?” Sakuya’s voice had gone soft with the question.

“O-Of course not!” Alto practically choked. His throat felt so tense all of a sudden, but the heat on his face never left him.

“Huh… I see…” Sakuya mused and her eyes wafted back to the side. Alto felt his entire body sink at her words. Had he upset her somehow? Not that it wasn’t _hard_ to upset her in the first place; Sakuya always had some nasty comment to make about his working pace or how awful he performed at something. However, this time she seemed more melancholy about it. Alto felt his gut twist uncomfortably.

“Sakuya?” He called out to her and she turned, her earrings gently bouncing as she moved to face him. Her expression still wore the same tired look, but she wasn’t angry. Any fire the Fire Witch held had gone out by then.

“Don’t worry, it was just a joke. I don’t do that to anyone else.” Sakuya said softly. Alto found himself breathing a sigh of relief. At the same time, he half wondered why he was upset about it in the first place. It wasn’t like… like they were _together_ or anything. Sakuya had plenty of fans swarming her with their attention and praise. He felt his heart clench a little again and Alto shook his head. It didn’t have to end with just that, did it? She kissed him so… it didn’t mean she _hated_ him at least. The Sakuya he knew was abrasive, but she was also caring in her own way. Sakuya was so many things and it felt a little overwhelming to someone like Alto who was so… _Alto_.

How ever many faces Sakuya held within her, he still found himself liking every one of them. Her personality still continued to baffle him… especially when he was telling himself things like this.

“Alto?” Sakuya’s attention was back on him and Alto found himself straightening up again. She must have noticed him go quiet, since she was staring at him inquisitively. For someone like Sakuya… he could take on the world truly. Take on _god_ if that was what he had to do. That devotion she showed… he wanted to return that if he could. Her face had turned back into her usual annoyed look, but it was softer this time. Any hard edge felt almost smoothed away by the dim light reflecting off her. The Fire Witch’s cheeks were still pink and a thought briefly tickled the back of Alto’s mind if his own were still too.

“Sakuya, give me your hand.” He asked gently and held out his own again, palm turned up to match the way hers had been previously. Her face melted into a baffled look. Her magenta eyes quickly shot between his face and his hand.

“What’s this? Don’t play some kind of nasty trick on me! I already said the kissing thing was a joke...” She trailed off when Alto gently lifted his hand a bit higher.

“It’s not a trick. I just want to return the favor.” He said. Her hand moved upward and  clutched against her chest but, with the utmost delicacy, she reached out. She hesitated above his hand, her fingers curling inward. Her eyes met with his and he could see her uncertain gaze. However, in the end, she laid her palm on top of his. He gently wrapped his thumb around her hand, just as she had done before, but Sakuya didn’t shy away. She stepped a little closer and Alto followed her lead. It wasn’t as close as they had been when she kissed him, but he could still feel her warmth.

“If that kiss is a good luck charm passed down by Priestesses, then we Conductors also have a good luck charm we share with our witches.” His smile morphed into an almost smirk and Sakuya looked at him as if he had just claimed to be Klaus himself in disguise to challenge them once again.

“What.” She said bluntly as if what he had said caused all her emotions to eject themselves from her qualia right then and there. He tried to suppress his nerves at that.

Daring to kiss Sakuya would have its repercussions, he knew that all too well. The way she would claim him to be a pervert if he uttered something that even _suggested_ something mildly dirty was always fresh in his mind. Still, he bottled up all the courage he had to gently place a kiss on the side of her cheek. Her cheek was warm, almost _hot_ really. As much as he would have liked to linger, to soak in her warmth, he quickly made sure to pull away to leave her only a peck. However, in his wake, he left a completely stunned and mouth agape Sakuya. Her cheeks were a brilliant red hue, matching her kimono almost perfectly. Alto already felt awkward, accidentally squeezing her hand a little, and averted his gaze.

“U-Um, this is a Conductor’s good luck charm… So… Thank you. For the prayer… and, uh, also for being by my side through all this.” Alto fumbled over his own words and dared to take a glance back at Sakuya. Her mouth was still agape, but her free hand had moved to her cheek gently ghosting over it. Her expression was a mixture of confusion, something Alto was _sure_ was anger, and… maybe happiness? Alto only saw it for a brief moment, a flash behind her eyes, but he was already gearing up to face her wrath.

It never came. She stood there with an almost dazed look. Alto opened his mouth to speak again, but this time she was back to her fiery self. Her eyes practically lit up with flames behind them and Alto knew he had truly sealed his fate.

“What the hell was that you stupid Conductor!? Don’t just go ahead and think you can pull that kind of thing on me!” She nearly shouted and Alto was sure half of Lambert would wake up from it. She crossed her arms with an overly exaggerated huff before turning to the side, puffing out her cheeks slightly. He flinched almost voluntarily before his hand shot to the back of his neck to rub awkwardly. Yeah, she was right, it probably _was_ a stupid thing to do. Just as he thought that, however, he noticed her lips were moving.

“But… Thank you, Alto.” She said a lot more quietly, almost under her breath. If the noise from the town hadn’t been so quiet due to the hour, he probably would have missed it.

“You’re welcome.” He replied and she immediately jerked up like a cat who had been sprayed with water.

“D-Don’t make that smug look you creepy, perverted, stupid Conductor!” She yelled, shooting him a look that could kill. Fortunately, Alto had gained quite a constitution from being her manager. He knew exactly how to combat this! By… merely waving his hands in front of himself.

“I-I’m sorry, okay!?”

“Don’t be sorry!”

“I’m… not sorry then...?”

“That’s not-- Ugh, just shut up, you dense lovable idiot!”

“Wait, what was that one part?”

“Did you go deaf!? I said you’re an idiot, a moron, a nincompoop who can never read the mood and has to jump into my heart and muddle with my feelings without asking!” And before Alto knew it, he was being smacked on the head with the hearty force of her fist.

“Ow, I already said I was sorry!” Alto rubbed at his head trying to soothe the ache already starting to form.

“That’s not it, you idiot.” Sakuya huffed, planting her hands on her hips before staring him down, “You can’t just do things like that and not expect repercussions!”

“I know that…” Alto grunted.

“Well I’m glad you’re paying attention. At least one part of your still brain works otherwise I’d beat the sense right back into it!” She yelled, her folded arms only pressing tighter against her chest. There was an awkward bit of silence between them then. Alto felt almost too embarrassed to speak up to face Sakuya’s wrath after that kiss and her outbursts, but it was her to finally break the ice.

“...So make sure we win this thing tomorrow! That handshake isn’t something I just give out to anyone either!” Sakuya huffed, “You’d better do your best because you’re going to hold your own promise to me after this! Even if I have to chase you all across the world!”  At that, she immediately turned on her heel and stalked off away from him. Alto was almost sure she was practically fuming, but her cheeks had never lost the red painted on them the entire time. He watched her go without moving from his spot, tempted to call out to her. He decided it was probably just a better idea to let her cool off. He felt a little bad for flustering her, but more so even embarrassed himself.

However, before she turned the corner down the stairs he noticed a faint smile was plastered on her face. She disappeared down the stairs and her smile was gone from his view. Alto let out a heavy sigh and leaned his back against the balcony railing.

“That could have gone a lot better…” He mused to himself, staring up at the bright moon hanging over his head between the branches of the Yggdrasil.

All the same, he couldn’t help but feel… happy. It was a step, even if just a baby step, towards maybe showing his own feelings towards her.

Except Alto wasn’t sure if it was _him_ or _her_ who hadn’t exactly gotten the hint.

As worried as he was, there were more important things to focus on. Sakuya was right; they had to win this battle. For everyone, for those of the past, for Marie… and for Sakuya, herself.


End file.
